Orange County: where to live and what to expect?

[Bobcat Sig]

Crazy talk, right? I know.

I'm being presented with a tremendous career opportunity that would double my salary and have a very high upside, but it requires a move to Orange County. Nearish to Irvine, specifically.

The particulars:
While this company has an office in Irvine, my work would mostly be from home, day trips in and around LA/Orange County/San Diego with the occasional trip into the Irvine office. This means I could live anywhere in Orange County. While LA is an option, I think I'll avoid that for very obvious reasons.

The few times I've spend in OC for work was mainly around Irvine or Aliso Viejo. Both seemed nice enough, but mainly came across as a really nice, sprawling suburbia.

Where to live?
What little research I've done, Huntington and Newport Beach look like ideal places, especially since I'm trading the mountains of Montana for the beaches of California. Where else might I consider down there? Where to avoid?

What to expect?
Skiing will be relegated to weekend trips to Mammoth or fly-outs. Aside from a complete reversal in lifestyle, recreation, cost of living, traffic and weather ... what else should I know about living in Orange County?

Talk to me.

[irul&ublo]

Huntington or Newport? Bring your checkbook

[Viva]

Irvine is a shit hole. Stay away, seriously. Aliso Viejo, Santa Margarita, Coto de Casa, et al, are modern developments with cookie-cutter houses. I despise those communities.

Orange, especially downtown where the old houses are is pretty nice. El Modina is a nice little neighborhood. North Tustin is nearby and is also a nice area. Tustin's was OK last time I checked. Yorba Linda is great for families, but may be too far from Irvine. Anaheim Hills is kool, and probably not too far from your work. I don't know about Lake Forest (formerly El Toro). None of these places are beach communities, however.

If you prefer the beachy communities, Westminster and Huntington Beach are good places, although Westminster (and Garden Grove in particular) is full of Vietnamese (Hot looking bitches, though!). Costa Mesa has some nice neighborhoods with great houses and ought to be more affordable that Huntington Beach. Haven't been to Newport in a while, but it's generally considered to be pricey. Laguna Beach is a k00l place, but pricey. I don't know Corona del Mar, driven through a few times, but haven't stopped there since I was a student at UCI.

Wherever you chose to live, consider the major roads leading in and out. In Huntington Beach, Beach Blvd. is a major artery and is often slammed, especially on summer weekends. There are some back roads that you can use there, however. Lake Forest always seems to be gridlocked (at least El Toro Road does from the freeway). So, find a place with escape routs.

[Viva]

Huntington or Newport? Bring your checkbook

Huntington has some affordable, and nice, neighborhoods. Just not on the water, of course.

[iceman]

Get as close to the water as you can afford. Newport's really sweet, so is Laguna (but very crowded in the summer). We almost moved out there about 15 years ago, I spent a lot of tmie looking at real estate and that's what I concluded. It was a very similar setup, office in Anaheim but wouldn't have to go there more than once or twice a week. If you had to commute daily I'd say just get close to the office.

[Meadow Skipper]

Man, it's gotta be close to the beach. I guess the commute would suck though. Tough call.

[sirbumpsalot]

Huntington or Newport? Bring your checkbook

Is there ANY area of OC that doesn't require a large checkbook?

[iceman]

Oh and Dana Point is really cool. Is POWDER still there?

[jma233]

The 2x salary might not make up for the increased cost of living depending on your situation. Renting (esp smaller units) is definitely cheaper. Personally, I think OC would be a fun place to live for a few years when you're young, esp if you're single and keen on surfing. After that I think the place would just wear me down and id dream of living somewhere like the mountains of mt.

[Tippster]

I would move to Laguna tomorrow, but I'd have to win the lottery first. If you can swing it then go there, especially if most of your work is from home. You can scoot up Laguna Cyn. to Irvine if you need to make an occasional appearance in the office, but I'd hate to have to drive that daily.

My sister lived in the Talbert Ave. area of HB and they loved it. <10min. drive to the beach and (back in the 90's) affordable.

[406]

What to expect?
Skiing will be relegated to weekend trips to Mammoth

Unless it is part of a social thing, I don't think the skiing at Mammoth is worth the drive and cost...coming from Bridger/Big Sky, I'm guessing you will have the same conclusion. But the Sierra have amazing backcountry. Mt. Baldy is ~1 hour from OC (with no traffic). It needs natural snow to open, so doesn't open every year. Powder and corn days are really fun. It has lots of character and takes sometime to learn all the tricks to hit it when it is good. Lots of backcountry options in the peaks just north of the LA basin, San Gabe's and San Berdo's. Check out the SoCal Snow thread from the past few years. I think 2011 was the last good year we had:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ighlight=Socal

OC airport is very easy for non stop flights to Reno & SLC.

[gh444]

I've lived in OC and North County SD and worked in OC for the last ten years (I'm moving at the end of the month).

Live near the beach. That's the only reason to live in OC. The best options for the money are in Newport off of 17th Street, Costa Mesa, Dana Point and San Clemente. Near the beach on the Peninsula in NPB and Huntington makes it very difficult to get around (limited freeway access). Laguna is a bubble and can be bitch to get in and out of unless you live north in Corona Del Mar/NPB. Both Laguna and CDM are costly but doable if you score a good deal (everything else adds up though).

If you want to venture outside of OC and still have freeway access and decent cost of living, look at North County SD (Leucadia, Encinitas, Solana, Cardiff) and/or near 2nd Street in Long Beach.

I hope you're single and either love the water or cycling (awesome road and Mt cycling).

As far as skiing goes, SLC and Den are generally better options at this point than Mammoth. Direct flights from SNA to SLC mean you can be at Alta/Snowbird or Park City faster than you can be to Mammoth (and sometimes cheaper). Even though I'm from Den and have family there, I skip it for skiing because of the nightmare that is I-70.

Let me know if you have any other questions. It's a totally different place and pace of life than Bozeman.

[hutash]

If you don't have to go to the office too much, and you can afford it, North San Diego beaches are an option as well. As stated, live near the water in OC. Inland increases to suck the further you go. At 6 AM on Sunday mornings Orange County is a nice place, the rest of the time it is horrid, unless you are young and single and don't mind the threat of STDs.

Calculate your cost of living in OC, staying in Bozeman might be a better option.

[PNWbrit]

What to expect

within six months you'll be driving a carnauba waxed Lexus with chrome rims.

[1080Rider]

I grew up in SD and would love to get back there. As much as I love skiing, if/when I move back to so cal, I'll hang my stix up for a surf board and never look back. I would get as close to the beach as possible and recreate there... the only practical advice I have is that costa mesa area is nice. A friend who works for armada lives there. It's a nice little area from what I could tell in the very limited amount of time I've spent there.

[frorider]

[jma233]

At 6 AM on Sunday mornings Orange County is a nice place, the rest of the time it is horrid, unless you are young and single and don't mind the threat of STDs.

Nailed it with one sentence. Only thing I'll add is that the women of the OC all have the same hobby....themselves.

[Timberridge]

Compton has some reasonably priced real estate.

[Tippster]

It's also not close to OC.

[The AD]

Aliso Viejo, Santa Margarita, Coto de Casa, et al, are modern developments with cookie-cutter houses.

For sure. Just miles and miles of suburban sprawl. Great if you like strip malls and for your house to look exactly like everyone else's in the neighborhood.

[Timberridge]

It's also not close to OC.

Ok, what about a houseboat then?

[gh444]

Nailed it with one sentence. Only thing I'll add is that the women of the OC all have the same hobby....themselves.

Obviously this one did well with the ladies.

[gh444]

At 6 AM on Sunday mornings Orange County is a nice place, the rest of the time it is horrid, unless you are young and single and don't mind the threat of STDs.
.

Says the guy who lives ten miles from Thousand Oaks.......

And by the way, from my office in Aliso, I did a great road ride at lunch which I generally alternate with MTB. And this afternoon I'll be surfing in a shorty. The high today is 80 degrees. Which it is all WINTER long, every WINTER.

[Hugh Conway]

dude who bitches about portland and san francisco yuppies moving to the OC. priceless. it's a shithole and between the cost of living and the taxes you'll net out about the same. with the added fun of driving with 10 million of your closest friends anytime you want to go anywhere.

[liv2ski]

Hugh, OC isn't that bad, if the threat of stds doesn't bother you. Seriously, to be a young guy in that area is crazy. The women are self absorbed, but they are all raised on Cosmopolitan and porn, so good times can be had a plenty.

I would want to be within 30 minutes of the beach. Surfing, riding the bike, walking the dog, all are fun activities in/by the ocean and you should make the most of it.

I am clueless what the cost of living is in Bozman. But if you are going from $3k to $6k a month, I think you will come out ahead in OC.

And Mammoth isn't that far from OC. I am a member of the Huntington Beach Ski Club and we have a bunch of three night trips to Mammoth during the season. I hope to see you up there.